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Re: Why it is time for a Christian, southern presidency

By Ibrahim Sule
02 March 2022   |   3:55 am
Sir: “Nigeria’s next President must be a southerner and Christian, because the Northerners and Muslim would have served their terms of eight years out in 2023 through General Muhammadu Buhari.”

Sir: “Nigeria’s next President must be a southerner and Christian, because the Northerners and Muslim would have served their terms of eight years out in 2023 through General Muhammadu Buhari.” The statement in quote was made by one Chief Adesunbo Onitiri in an article written with the above title, in Nigerian Tribune Newspaper on February 14, 2022.
 
“We cannot run away from religion being a key factor in our political structure,” said the writer. However, I want you to understand that it’s the same religion, as a factor, that puts the nation at its current predicaments.
 
Sadly enough, I found it very incredible to have people still believing that religion is a factor of consideration in Nigerian politics considering the nation’s situation – at this juncture of unprecedented insecurity, tribalism, ethnicity, communal clashes, nepotism, smuggling, trafficking, among other challenges facing the country. It’s too unbelievable for me.
 


I think we have not learnt our lessons by considering religion as a political requirement. More so, we (Nigerians) are after everything else but progress and development of the nation, irrespective of region, religion, tribalism or political affiliation.
 
Unfortunately, the arithmetic has gone beyond logic as some people keep giving priority to religion. It’s improper for one to be considering religion ahead of 2023 elections, instead of competency, irrespective of its religious affiliation.
 
You need to understand that Nigerians are living in abject poverty, insecurity, hunger, dilapidated learning environment, bad roads, moribund healthcare system, inadequate water supply, joblessness, poor economy among others, thus they need no religion to decide who can rule this country come 2023.
 
The fact is that northerners have ruled for 45 years out of 61 years. Muslim-Muslim ticket doesn’t matter in a democratic dispensation, rather competence. If the latter is achieved, then it will not matter if a Muslim or Christian leader rules Nigeria for 100 years, insofar there is progress.
 
In agreement with the writer’s points, it’s no longer feasible for sick and old politicians to continue to foist themselves on us as presidential candidates. We are no longer interested in them. We need young minds whose pedigree and antecedents are well known to move our nation to greater heights, irrespective of religion or geopolitical zone. This is because I have the conviction that there are competent minds in both religions and all the six geopolitical zones.
 
Lastly, I want us to understand that politics of religion and region happen to be the major problem bringing the nation’s democracy on its knees and without a direction since independence. Let’s say no to politics of region and religion for a better Nigeria. Like Chief Onitiri said, we need resourceful, unbiased and highly cerebral candidates that should be sponsored by our political parties come 2023 general elections.
 
Ibrahim Sule wrote from the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri.
 

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